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Sunday, March 2nd, 2025
| Time | Event | ||||||
| 9:30a | [Botany • 2025] Schnabelia jiuzhaigouensis (Lamiaceae: Ajugoideae) • A New Species from Sichuan, China
Abstract Schnabelia jiuzhaigouensis C. Liu, F. Zhao & C.L. Xiang, a new species from north-eastern Sichuan, China, is described, based on both morphological and molecular phylogenetic evidence. Morphologically, the new species is mostly similar to S. terniflora, but can be readily distinguished by its habit, ovate to lanceolate-ovate leaf blades, the presence of 5–8 lateral veins on each side of the mid-rib and distinct characteristics of the floral structure, including oblong upper lip and lateral lobes of the lower lip, with the middle lobe being cuneate. In addition, the nutlets are puberulent and lack reticulate venation. Molecular phylogenetic analyses place the new species at a basal position within the genus Schnabelia. The new species is categorised as Data Deficient (DD) according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. A key to all species of Schnabelia is also provided. Key words: Ajugeae, morphology, new species, Schnabelia, taxonomy
Schnabelia jiuzhaigouensis C.Liu, F.Zhao & C.L.Xiang, sp. nov. Diagnosis. Schnabelia jiuzhaigouensis is most similar to S. terniflora, but can be distinguished by several morphological differences. Schnabelia jiuzhaigouensis is a perennial herb (vs. shrub), with ovate to lanceolate-ovate leaf blades, 2–8 × 1.5–4 cm (vs. lanceolate-oblong to ovate, 1.5–4 × 1–3 cm in S. terniflora), the lateral veins on each side of the mid-rib number 5–8 (vs. 3–6 in S. terniflora).The upper lip and lateral lobes of the lower lip are oblong in S. jiuzhaigouensis (vs. broadly obovate in S. terniflora) and the middle lobe is cuneate (vs. subrounded). The corolla is puberulent on the outside, but non-glandular (vs. puberulent and glandular in S. terniflora) and the nutlets puberulent (vs. densely hirsute), with S. jiuzhaigouensis lacking reticulate veins on the nutlets (vs. with distinctly reticulate veins in S. terniflora). The differences between the new species and S. terniflora are summarised in Table 2. Etymology. The specific epithet ‘jiuzhaigouensis’ is derived from the type locality Jiuzhaigou County. Chinese name. Jiǔ Zhài Gōu Sì Léng Căo (Chinese pronunciation); 九寨沟四棱草 (Chinese name). Fei Zhao, Peng-Wei Gao, Ting Zhang, Cheng Liu and Chun-Lei Xiang. 2025. Schnabelia jiuzhaigouensis (Lamiaceae, Ajugoideae), A New Species from Sichuan, China. PhytoKeys. 253: 21-32. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.253.141697 | ||||||
| 11:45p | [Herpetology • 2025] Gracixalus huaping • A New Species of Gracixalus (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from Guangxi, China, with comments on the taxonomy of Orixalus
Abstract A new treefrog of the genus Gracixalus, Gracixalus huaping sp. nov., is described based on the specimens collected from Huaping National Natural Reserve, Guangxi, China. Both maximum likelihood analysis and Bayesian inference found that the Huaping population formed a distinct lineage as sister to Gracixalus jinxiuensis. It was strongly supported that Gracixalus consists of four distinct clades. Morphological analysis suggested that the new species can be distinguished from other known congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters: size small, SVL 26.6–28.8 mm in males and 29.8–32.8 mm in females; vomerine teeth absent; dorsal surface yellowish brown; internal vocal sac and linea masculina present in males; vocal sac opening oval and rim of the opening dark brown; throat smooth; iris golden brown; flanks granular with white blotch. In addition, we agree that the genus Orixalus is a junior subjective synonym of Gracixalus and consider that more studies are needed to investigate the species diversity and taxonomy of genus Gracixalus. Key Words: Gracixalus jinxiuensis, species diversity, taxonomy, Treefrog
Diagnosis. The new species is assigned to genus Gracixalus based upon the following set of morphological characters: the presence of intercalary cartilage between terminal and penultimate phalanges of digits, tips of digits enlarged to discs bearing circum-marginal grooves, vomerine teeth absent, inner (first and second) and outer (third and fourth) fingers not opposable, and an inversed Y-shaped dark brown marking on the dorsum (Fei 1999; Yu et al. 2019; Tran et al. 2023). The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters. (1) SVL 26.6–28.8 mm in males and 29.8–32.8 mm in females; (2) vomerine teeth absent; (3) dorsal surface yellowish brown; (4) few conical tubercles on dorsum; (5) internal vocal sac in males, vocal sac opening oval and rim of the opening dark brown; (6) throat smooth; (7) finger webbing rudimentary; (8) linea masculina present in males; (9) snout rounded; (10) tibiotarsal articulation reaching eye; (11) tibiotarsal projection absent; (12) ventral surface translucent, yellowish-white; (13) belly granular; (14) nuptial pads present on finger I; (15) heels overlapping when legs at right angle to body; (16) iris golden brown; and (17) flank rough with white tubercles. Etymology. The specific epithet is named for Huaping, Guangxi, China, where the species was collected. We suggested “Huaping small tree frog” for the common English name and “花坪纤树蛙 (Huā Píng Xiān Shù Wā)” for the common Chinese name.
Jiaqi Luo, Ben’an Zhang, Yuanqiang Pan and Guohua Yu. 2025. A New Species of Gracixalus (Anura, Rhacophoridae) from Guangxi, China, with comments on the taxonomy of Orixalus. Zoosystematics and Evolution. 101(1): 369-388. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zse.101.135742  |
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